Aloha from Benjamin 

Howdy friends! 

It's Benjamin here, checking in. Happy Holidays from me to you! 

How the heck are ya? Hit that respond button. Give me the deets. Whether it's good, okay, or bad, I always want to know how YOU are doing, especially if I don't hear from you often. Life seems to be flying by, even when it feels like it's been crawling. 

I'll give you the condensed version of my last few years. For those of who you don't know, I've made a wee bit of a career path change (my job outside of music). As of this past August, I've been working as a special ed teacher at an elementary school, securing my first job as a licensed educator. Admittedly, the whole "licensed educator" thing still feels weird to say, creating this "imposter syndrome" in me. I'm sure you all have been there and know that feeling. I'll get over that, eventually. 

You might be asking...why'd you go back to school? Well, I'm glad you asked. When the pandemic started in 2020, in an attempt to keep myself out of trouble, and engaged with life, I figured I'd keep myself busy...because that's the way I roll. I've always had a heart for serving individuals with disabilities (which is a LARGE, DIVERSE part of our population). I started grad school in January of 2021 and finished up this past August of 2022. And here we are, doing the things. Well, I'm attempting to do the things. Not that I'm counting or anything, but I've made it through 82 school days. Woohoo! I won't bore you with all the details of my classroom experience...but I will say...it's been a period of growth for Mr. Ben! Now, I'm on winter break, which is a recipe for catching up on life, especially music. Hence why you're receiving this email right now! 

Anyways, I've got good news for you. Are you ready for it? I've actually got some upcoming shows to share with you! 

Friday, December 30 @ 7 PM at the Columbus Zoo 

Benjamin Marshall @ The Columbus Zoo | Facebook 

Saturday, January 7th @ 8 PM at Kafe Kerouac (w/Shiloh Hawkins, Shawn Hedderman, Cylia Queen, and Whitley Trusler 

All I Do is Win-Ter Songwriter Night | Facebook 

That's all I've got for you. As always, thanks for all of your love and support. Stay tuned for more updates! If you're free to catch either of those events, I'd LOVE to see you. If not, I forgive you. The good news is I think I may have caught the music bug again, which MIGHT mean more new music on the horizon.  

Anyways, happy new year to you and your loved ones! Hope to hear from you! 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

My First Post of 2022 

Heyyyy, friends. 

Benjamin here at your service. I realized..so far in 2022, I've neglected you. Will you forgive me? I haven't sent an email yet this year. To be fair, you haven't missed much. Full-time school and work, along with a new music project, have taken up MOST of my time, which unfortunately has resulted in me neglecting my music duties. No music = sad Benjamin. The good news is...now, it's summertime. Well, not officially. But as defined by the school year, it's summertime, which means more time for music. 

A few updates: 

1. I'm gigging with a new punk band, a band called Coxey's Army. Started by my friend, Nate, it's composed of him (bass/vocals), Ryan (drummer), AJ (guitar/backing vox), and me (guitars...and hopefully an accordion in the future). It's a bit different than my solo acoustic but in all the best ways. A lot louder. A lot faster. And a whole lotta fun. 

Check out our Facebook page for upcoming shows...(we've got on THIS Friday at the "Hell is Ohio" festival 

https://www.facebook.com/coxeysarmy/events/ 

2. I've been starting to pick up a few more gigs! Thursday, from 4 to 6 PM, if you happen to be at the airport waiting on your Southwest flight, you'll most likely see me playing some music off to the side. Every Thursday, I have the privilege of busking for a few hours, playing all sorts of tunes for the bored, busy, preoccupied, and frustrated travelers. I must admit, it serves as an inspiration for the songwriting process as I develop my own stories for the people I observe and experience on a weekly basis. People are fascinating. 

3. After a two-year hiatus, the Westerville Arts Festival is back! Saturday, July 9th, at 2 PM, I'll be playing some tunes at the Songwriter tent! 

4. I'm hosting an open mic on July 16th at the Global Gallery from 6 - 8 PM. It's been quite a while since hosting an open mic, so I'm really looking forward to this. Got a song? Poem? Joke? Melody? Funny noise with our arm-pits? Whatever you got, bring it! 

Alright, that's all I got for now. I'll see ya in another 9 months. Haha, I kid, I kid. Maybe 6 months? ;-) Please do me a favor. Let me know how you are doing. As always, I love getting responses to these emails on what's going on with YOUR life. Whether it be good things, bad things, neutral things, intense things, boring things, scary things, whatever it is, I'm all ears. Or, since it's email, maybe I should say eyes. 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

What's going on, friend? 

Howdy friends! 

These days, I seem to start off emails the same way. Start off by saying, "Man, it's been a REALLY LONG TIME", then carry on to the meat of the email. 

This email isn't going to be any different. It's been 9 months since my last email to you all, so clearly it has been a hot minute with a few cold minutes in there too. So, here it is. 

Man, it's been a while!! 

I've realized that since I haven't updated my website much, I've been getting some new fans on my mailing list. Unfortunately, the fans appear to be robots. But, hey, robots are cool too? 

Anyways, I'm mainly sending this email to see how YOU are doing. I'd LOVE to know how 2021 is treating you. 

Here are some quick updates from me! 

1. I released a new single, "Agape" back on Valentine's day (February 14th). Check it out on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, or Bandcamp! 

2. Super blessed to have a lady in my life, Emily! Our first "face to face" date was February 29th of 2020, two weeks before our whole world changed. She's a multi-instrumentalist herself, so I'm really excited to do some musical collaborations with her! Stay tuned! 

3. I started going back to school a few months ago at Ohio University, trying to get my Master's in Special Education! It's all online, which is great, but also proves to be quite challenging for a person like me, who has trouble being still. Haha. 

Anyways, that's about it for me! DO LET ME KNOW HOW YOU ARE HOLDING UP! Stay tuned for new music coming your way! 

PS: The "Agape" download is available in this email as well. 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

Happy Good Friday! 

Hello my friends, 

Benjamin here, checkin in. I sincerely hope that you are hangin' in there right now on this Good Friday! 

I've always been curious about why it's called "Good Friday". Based off of what I learned about Jesus and what happened to him on the cross this day, for me personally, it's tough to call it "good". 

Feeling curious, I found a short article online from the BBC which was interesting to me. It gave a few different reasons for the title. According to the article, some suggest the day is "good" as in "holy", some speculate it may be a corruption of "God's Friday", and the dictionary states that it "refers to a day or season of religious observance" 

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27067136 

On a different note, I am starting to get used to the "working from home" thing....although, I'll be quite honest, it's been a tough transition. For those of you who know me well, you probably know that I like to run around a lot. "Homebody" has never really been a word that I felt best characterized me... 

But, here I am. 

THREE weeks later, I think I've finally accepted some of the pros of being a "homebody". And, I must say - it's been nice. I am fortunate in the fact that I can stay at home, working my job, and although I could complain about the rate of pay, I'm still receiving a paycheck. 

Also, the fact that I'm not wasting money on gas, eating out, and other expenses, has led me to be more aware of my own spending habits. It's been over THREE weeks since I've had carry out. In hindsight, I have been quite impulsive when it comes to eating out. :-) 

BUT HAVE NO FEAR, I WILL support local food...but for now, I am realizing that I need to practice these limits of my spending habits. 

HOW ARE YOU DOING? 

Tell me a little bit about what's going on in your life. These are tough time...and while some of the struggles may be similar, everyone's story is quite different...Please fill me in on what's going on in your life. 

QUICK MUSIC UPDATE! 

- Some of you may know...but I started a Patreon page. I've been making a LOT of music...and have been doing DAILY performances at 4 PM on this platform. I'll spare ya the details...but feel free to check it out below! 

Patreon.com/BenjaminMarshallMusic 

Thanks, friends. That's all I've got. I'll probably be sending emails a bit more frequently...due to the increased amount of time on my computer. Hope ya don't mind! 

Have a great Easter weekend! 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

Social Distancing Update 

Hi all, 

Benjamin here... and I'm typing this email from inside my house, continuing to practice my social distancing. I'm sure you are doing the same thing. If not, I hope that you change your practices. :-) 

I have been blessed that I still am technically working my full-time job, but unfortunately many of my music gigs (like every other musician) were cancelled.. As unfortunate as it is, this is part of life. And I know there are many musicians who are impacted even more by this, as they do this as their main source of income. 

But, at this point, many, if not all, know the struggle. I don't need to go any further into details, since I'm sure you've witnessed it... 

I will say, the isolation thing is real though. I didn't realize how much I crave human interaction until being forced on this computer (which I did already...but not to this extent). 

That being said, I would LOVE to hear from you. I sincerely hope that YOU are doing well. I know this has been a tough month, and it seems like the next few months will be tough as well, but I know we will get through this. Things aren't normal, I'll never admit that. But we do have to find a new way to feel normal, even when things aren't. 

Shoot me an email, share with me your struggles...AND...share with me some of your silver linings....There are some light moments in these tough times.. Let's share some love with the world. 

Here are a few music updates below 

1. DAILY LIVE PERFORMANCES at 4 PM on: 

Patreon: www.patreon.com/benjaminmarshallmusic 

...or if you don't have the money to support me at this time, no pressure! You can listen on YouTube - just respond to this email, and I can help you with access! 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoy2oB-u9JGOwr-l6yF7Fpg 

Feel free to check out the Patreon page to see some of the perks of supporting me. I'm still working on this...so if you have some cool ideas, DO LET ME KNOW! 

2. SUNDAY PERFORMANCES: 

Facebook @ 7 PM (Facebook.com/BenjaminMarshallMusic) 

Instagram @ 8:30 PM (Instagram.com/BenjaminDavidMarshallMusic) 

3. MY NEW SINGLE IS OUT, "Wrong Together": 

Available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, BandCamp...and plenty more! 

4. I wrote a toilet paper song. Wanna hear it? Lemme know! 

Thanks everyone. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

My First Post of 2020 

Heyyyyy everyone! 

Did you forget about me? I know I didn't forget about you. Waking up this Saturday morning...I realized I needed to play catch up on this whole email thing. Nothing beats drafting an email with a pot of coffee on a Saturday morning! #motivation 

So, let me make this about YOU first. I LOVE reading responses to these emails...so, if you have the chance, hit that reply button! This isn't a one way street email. 

1. How is 2020 treating you? /

2. Do you have any goals for this year? 

2020 has been good to me so far! One of my MAJOR goals is to commit to music even more. Crazy, huh? 

I'm sure you're thinking...."But, Ben, you already spend so much time with it!" 

Yes, you're right. Part of this goal is to be more intentional AND efficient with my time! It's always tough to balance work versus personal life...when it hardly seems like work. But, I do realize there has to be some separation involved! 

That being said..... 

Some of my MUSIC goals include (and yes I have other PERSONAL goals as well): 

- Booking more gigs round the year 

- Improving on my live performance (guitar playing, looping, the commentary between songs, etc) 

- Finding more ways to connect with people and music  (open mics, jam sessions, etc) 

- New album summer of 2020 

- Producing/Engineering my own music....along with other artists! (I splurged on some new audio equipment...which forced me to reinvest in this skill!) 

- Summer music tour 

- More collaborations! 

- More dad puns... 

- and most importantly, not losing the heart of why I do music. 

Now, I also have PLENTY of personal goals as well...but, I'll share that with you in person! I need more accountability partners, so if you want to be that person, let me know! 

Today, I'll be making my way down to Portsmouth, Ohio, hometown to my friend Cylia Queen, sharing a bill with her and Shiloh Hawkins at the Port City Pub. I'm stoked to be playing there and experiencing new territories! If you're from the Portsmouth area...or feel like traveling a few hours, come see us play from 8 - 11. Shall be a grand night! 

If you can't come down to Portsmouth, next week, I'll be back at the Shrunken Head (Friday, January 31st) from 6 - 8 PM, doing a happy hour show. I'd LOVE to see you there! 

I hope this email finds you all well on this Saturday morning. In fact, I hope you're enjoying this Saturday morning so much, that you don't even see this email. But, if you're like me...you just might be checking those emails on the weekend! 

Remember, to hit the reply button and tell me about your new year...and your goals (if you have some!) 

PS: One last thing...I'm trying out Patreon (a monthly subscription site for my music stuff)...it's not completely finished, but if you have a minute to look at the site and perhaps even let me know of some ideas for incentives, products, specials, etc. 

www.patreon.com/benjaminmarshallmusic 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

I'm Grateful For You! 

It's been a while since I've written you...but I HAD to write you before Thanksgiving and let you know HOW GRATEFUL I am to have YOU in my life. 

If you don't already know this by now, let me say this a few more times. 

I'm GRATEFUL for YOU! 

I'm GRATEFUL for YOU! 

I'm GRATEFUL for YOU! 

Truth be told, I keep wanting to spell "Grateful' incorrectly....I'll blame technology on it..or perhaps that was my warning that I don't use the word enough. Or maybe I don't take enough time to express my gratitude. 

The holidays are a mixed bag of emotions. For some of us, it can be a joy-filled time, getting to spend time with family who otherwise are distant - whether in proximity or in stages of life. 

For others, the holidays can be dominated by grief, anxiety or even anger. This time of the year can be a trigger of emotions, amplifying them in ways we wouldn't expect. 

Although I probably don't know your exact story or situation, there is one thing I do know. 

You are loved. 

Yes, it's cliche, I know. But, we need this reminder. I need this reminder. Whether you like it or not...whether you know it or not....whether you believe it or not. YOU ARE LOVED! 

Regardless of your stage of life, accomplishments, abilities, confidence, job status, education level, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, depression/anxiety, past/current addiction, neighborhood you reside in, community you lack, or any other barrier you have in your life, YOU ARE LOVED. 

Love doesn't always come dressed with the fluffy, good-feelin', PG-rated movies, but it does present itself with sacrifice, humility, peace, perseverance, consistency, patience, and most importantly, joy. 

Music Updates 

-- THIS BLACK FRIDAY, I have a new song, "FREE", being released on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other popular music platforms. If you don't want to wait until then..I have good news for you. I've included the FREE download of "FREE" in this e-mail. --- 

--- Want exclusive Benjamin Marshall music, lyrics, recordings, videos? Do me a favor, help support my music by considering a $3/month donation, the price of a small cappuccino. By doing this, you'll have access to unreleased music, demo songs, lyrics, music charts, exclusive videos, AND more! 

Check out BenjaminMarshallMusic.com/Subscribe for more info! 

That's all I got. I hope you have an AMAZING holiday! 

Let me know how YOU are doing. Simply respond to this email. I'd love to hear from you! 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

Baby, It's Cold Outside! 

View this email in your browser 

Hello there folks! 

Benjamin here again! Hope this email finds you well and doesn’t fall into your spam folder! 

Last night, I had the privilege of playing at a new-ish place, called Bourbon and Barley - over in the Short North area. Let me tell ya, the parking was a catastrophe. I ended up parking about a ½ away from the spot, which doesn’t sound bad in theory - however, once you start adding in the gear that needs to be transported, it turns into a journey! I later found out that it was the beginning of the Blue Jacket season. 

As some of you may know, I have had a history of losing/misplacing things. I’d like to say that I am getting better storing/organizing things, but apparently last night was trying to test me. Somewhere on that 1/2 mile hike to the bar, I dropped my keys. The good news is that I found them. They were sitting on the sidewalk about 100 yards from my car, which is exactly where I thought they would be. Yay! 

Last night’s performance went well. My friend, Cylia, played with me and helped make the night last until 12:30 AM! It was a late but fun night. Bars are tricky. Sometimes people pay attention, and sometimes they don’t. Knowing your role and keeping your ego in check is SO important. 

As for last night, it took a while...however, by the time we left, people were listening! At this point in my life, I’ve come to realize that I can sing to the backs of heads for two hours and still have my heart filled if at least one person is engaged...or engaged at some point in the night. I believe that EVERY musical performance has meaning and dignity. 

Anyways, that’s my little rant. Here are some of my upcoming shows this next month! 

Saturday, October 19th 

8:00 PM

Victory's 

 

Friday, November 8th 

6:00 PM

Rambling House

 

As usual, let me know how you're doing! I love responses and getting updates from you. Especially if you're putting up with my updates! 

Have a SPLENDID Saturday, my friends! 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

Columbus is Alive! 

First things first...THANK YOU...to EVERYONE who came out last Saturday. It was the first full band show since January...and I must say, it was an amazing experience....and this time I still have a voice (last time, I lost it)! Playing alongside October Ember and Lydia Brownfield was incredible. So much talent...but also so much humility in the room. It's always an honor to be a part of these shows, with the main goal of creating connection 

Right now...as I'm typing this e-mail, I'm casually eating some pizza, getting my computer greasy and observing the gleeful Ohio State fans. Ohio State is back in session, and the football season has kicked off. Although I successfully managed to not watch football all day, I was able to tell that OSU won today. 

Between you and me...I was born in Michigan (many of you already know this)...and have never been a hardcore Ohio State fan...but, I like being around happy people - so I'm a fan when OSU wins. When it comes to football, I consider myself a pacifist between the war of OSU and Michigan. I know...you might think less of me...but FORGIVE ME! 

Needless to say, it's busy here in the Short North. And for a good reason! 

I'm here at the Donato's in the Short North, ready to play some music from 8 to 10 PM. If you're free tonight, stop by! It's the 1st Saturday of the month, which means it's GALLERY HOP! An Ohio State victory PLUS gallery hop PLUS BEAUTIFUL WEATHfER = "Hey, let's get out of the house!" 

That's all I have for you today. I've got some upcoming shows that I'll be sure to share with you soon enough...but, I'll save that for another e-mail. 

Just a final reminder - be sure to check out the new single, "I'm Ready to Begin", which I released last month. I will be releasing another single around November, so be sure to stay tuned! (on Spotify) 

As usual, please let me know how you are doing! I always love hearing your responses! 

Peace and love, 

Benjamin

New Single Alert!!!! 

It's busy over here, but I think that's the normal, default response. I think everyone uses the "busy" answer..because life does keep us busy! 

--- I just put the final touches on a NEW single being released this Saturday. It'll be available on Spotify, iTunes, AppleMusic...and whole lot more. Sign up for my e-mail list, and you can get a copy of this song now!

Back in February, this was the song that I was working on that convinced me to finally see a doctor regarding my voice. It was this chorus, shouting "I'm Ready to Begin", where ironically my voice was ready to end. Late into the night, I even attempted to utter a few conversational words and couldn't even do that. As many of you knew, this is what led me into my quiet, nonverbal February. 

Six months later...I'm proud to say that this song is done and ready for your listening pleasure. I sincerely hope you enjoy this song! It was a good lesson in perseverance, patience...and overcoming stubbornness. 

Here are the lyrics: 

Take a little sip of love, 
Find a way to boost this life again, 
You're my morning cup, 

I'll wait until I find myself alert, 
I know it takes some time, 
You're my morning cure 

I've yet to find a better way 
Reminds me that I'm still alive, 
I'll be ready for the day 

Dependent on your warmth, 
And the power of your love 
Brings me closer to the door 

I'm ready to begin, 
I'm ready to engage the heart within 
I'm ready to inspire 
I'm ready for the cause, 
even when I grow tired 

The fire in my step has slowed 
My energy is dissipating, 
What can keep my flow 

The battle of my apathy, 
I'll find way to make it through, 
Till the day is new 

I'm ready to begin, 
I'm ready to engage, 
I'm ready to inspire 
I'm ready for the cause 

My time is almost here, 
This rest I seem to fear, 
Renew my waning heart, 
Let tomorrow do its part 

I'm ready to begin, 
I'm ready to engage, 
I'm ready to inspire 
I'm ready for the cause 

Thanks for being a part of this journey! 

Please do keep me posted on what's going on in your life. Your response means a lot to me! 

Peace and love, 
Benjamin

Tatoheads 11-24-2017

Events

Previous events

Date Event Location
Benjamin Marshall @ Taffy's Taffy's of Eaton, Eaton, OH Taffy's of Eaton, Eaton, OH
All I Do is Win-Ter Songwriter Night Kafe Kerouac, Columbus, OH Kafe Kerouac, Columbus, OH
 —  — Sounds of the Season @ The Zoo Columbus Zoo, Columbus, OH Columbus Zoo, Columbus, OH
Live at Prohibition Legendary Bourbon Bar Prohibition: Legendary Bourbon Bar, Chillicothe, OH Prohibition: Legendary Bourbon Bar, Chillicothe, OH
Songs & Stories Event: Jamie Sagle, Shiloh Hawkins & Benjamin Marshall Natalie's (Worthington), Columbus, OH Natalie's (Worthington), Columbus, OH
Songwriter Night @ Seek-No-Further Cidery Seek-No-Further Cidery, Granville, OH Seek-No-Further Cidery, Granville, OH
Open Mic @ Global Gallery (hosted by Benjamin Marshall) Global Gallery, Columbus, OH Global Gallery, Columbus, OH
Benjamin Marshall: Live @ The Lab Live @ The Lab, Lima, OH Live @ The Lab, Lima, OH
Johnny Stanec, Benjamin Marshall, and October Ember Rambling House, Columbus, OH Rambling House, Columbus, OH
Communtiy Festival Vineyards Community Church, Reynoldsburg, OH Vineyards Community Church, Reynoldsburg, OH
Live @ Global Gallery Global Gallery, Columbus, OH Global Gallery, Columbus, OH
Nashville Tour Stop 3/8 Belcourt Taps, Nashville, TN Belcourt Taps, Nashville, TN
Live Music w/Benjamin @ Black Brick Black Brick/Donato's, Columbus, OH Black Brick/Donato's, Columbus, OH
Happy Hour at The Shrunken Head The Shrunken Head, Columbus, OH The Shrunken Head, Columbus, OH
Happy Hour at The Shrunken Head The Shrunken Head, Columbus, OH The Shrunken Head, Columbus, OH
Benjamin Marshall / Cylia Queen / Shiloh Hawkins Port City Pub, Portsmouth, OH 45662 Port City Pub, Portsmouth, OH 45662
Benjamin Marshall / Cylia Queen / Shiloh Hawkins Port City Pub, Portsmouth, OH 45662 Port City Pub, Portsmouth, OH 45662
Cylia / Brandon and Benjamin Marshall at Hopyard Hop Yard 62, Grove City, OH 43123 Hop Yard 62, Grove City, OH 43123
Songwriter Round - Star House Benefit Sho The Shrunken Head, Columbus, OH The Shrunken Head, Columbus, OH
2019 Columbus Area VegBash Northland Performing Arts Center, Columbus, OH Northland Performing Arts Center, Columbus, OH